Last week we were knee deep in dress rehearsals and even spent some days off campus at the PAC. So did technology find it's way into our busy schedule? Of course not for all classes nor everyday, but we still find the ways where the use of technology makes our everyday lives easier.
As dancers, we can continue to make changes not just in the days up to the show, but even from one night of the show to the next. So during this week our favorite app continued to be Coach My Video to analyze the unison, timing, details, and especially the technique of our dances to continue to polish them for the stage. I also used my iPad to record the dancers at Dress Rehearsal so that we could use it to review in class. All videos were loaded into a Google Folder so that all classes, by all teachers, could access the videos to review at any time. Ballet classes used my favorite iBrainstorm to work collaboratively in small groups to complete a self evaluation brainstorm session on what they saw from the rehearsal footage. We then share our findings as a class to then stand up and work on any last minute changes we could.
Some classes used Instaquote as a "exit ticket" of sorts where the had to complete the sentence "With this dance, I hope to convey a feeling of..." where we could use fun fonts & backgrounds to support our chosen text and then reveal and share with the class.
I did also attend our 2nd semester NextGen training in the middle of my busiest week of the year, but was able to ask fellow Fine Arts Trailblazers for suggestions on apps for an upcoming project this semester that will involve more cross-curricular collaborative work across my campus. I am excited to have a head start to begin playing with the chosen technology and prepare the lesson.
On Friday of show day, we had some trouble with a video that was supposed to play during the show. Feeling confident with technology, I was able to discover the problem and then found a new great Google app (Cloud Converter) to convert the video into other formats to see which format worked best at the PAC. I can't imagine the stress that could've created without all of these wonderful tools.
We also made a small mark on dance history in Texas on Friday night when the Dance & Media students performed on stage. They are the 1st group of students registered for Dance & Media to perform in such a way. It was so truly touching and some of the courses original curriculum writers traveled all the way in from Dallas to see it live. The students and I collaboratively choreographed the piece alongside Graphic Design students from our school allowing the music, video, and dance to all go hand in hand. I am so proud of these kids and I know that they did a fabulous job showing one of the really neat ways that dance and technology can work hand in hand.
As we slowly return to normal this week we have used the iPads again briefly already in the last 2 days. Similar to 1st semester, while watching the Spring Show footage, classes have been completing show reflections through a Google Form where I get to read about their responses to their favorite dance, costumes, and lights of the show as well as positive criticism and self critique.
I also got to share some of my love for dance and tech by presenting a workshop for the student teachers from University of Texas-Austin dance education program. It was so great to have the opportunity to both encourage and share. The rest of this week is state mandated FitnessGram testing which will not apply itself well to the NextGen classroom. Looking forward to our return to "normalcy" and the ability to show of more of what my students and I explore this semester!
As dancers, we can continue to make changes not just in the days up to the show, but even from one night of the show to the next. So during this week our favorite app continued to be Coach My Video to analyze the unison, timing, details, and especially the technique of our dances to continue to polish them for the stage. I also used my iPad to record the dancers at Dress Rehearsal so that we could use it to review in class. All videos were loaded into a Google Folder so that all classes, by all teachers, could access the videos to review at any time. Ballet classes used my favorite iBrainstorm to work collaboratively in small groups to complete a self evaluation brainstorm session on what they saw from the rehearsal footage. We then share our findings as a class to then stand up and work on any last minute changes we could.
Some classes used Instaquote as a "exit ticket" of sorts where the had to complete the sentence "With this dance, I hope to convey a feeling of..." where we could use fun fonts & backgrounds to support our chosen text and then reveal and share with the class.
I did also attend our 2nd semester NextGen training in the middle of my busiest week of the year, but was able to ask fellow Fine Arts Trailblazers for suggestions on apps for an upcoming project this semester that will involve more cross-curricular collaborative work across my campus. I am excited to have a head start to begin playing with the chosen technology and prepare the lesson.
On Friday of show day, we had some trouble with a video that was supposed to play during the show. Feeling confident with technology, I was able to discover the problem and then found a new great Google app (Cloud Converter) to convert the video into other formats to see which format worked best at the PAC. I can't imagine the stress that could've created without all of these wonderful tools.
We also made a small mark on dance history in Texas on Friday night when the Dance & Media students performed on stage. They are the 1st group of students registered for Dance & Media to perform in such a way. It was so truly touching and some of the courses original curriculum writers traveled all the way in from Dallas to see it live. The students and I collaboratively choreographed the piece alongside Graphic Design students from our school allowing the music, video, and dance to all go hand in hand. I am so proud of these kids and I know that they did a fabulous job showing one of the really neat ways that dance and technology can work hand in hand.
As we slowly return to normal this week we have used the iPads again briefly already in the last 2 days. Similar to 1st semester, while watching the Spring Show footage, classes have been completing show reflections through a Google Form where I get to read about their responses to their favorite dance, costumes, and lights of the show as well as positive criticism and self critique.
I also got to share some of my love for dance and tech by presenting a workshop for the student teachers from University of Texas-Austin dance education program. It was so great to have the opportunity to both encourage and share. The rest of this week is state mandated FitnessGram testing which will not apply itself well to the NextGen classroom. Looking forward to our return to "normalcy" and the ability to show of more of what my students and I explore this semester!
Comments
Post a Comment